Swumming

Kitty had her first swim meet recently.  We were excited for the event and it didn't disappoint.  I've never been to a swim meet before and it was electric.  Fantastic!

Kitty was disappointed and annoyed when we realized the meet wasn't what we were expecting.  We were expecting races where you place and she would compete head-to-head against kids her own age.  What it actually turned out to be was a chance to race against other kids - mostly her age - in an attempt to beat your own personal best times. It was also a learning experience to see how a meet operates, since her team had never competed before.  Kitty had a hard time getting over the fact that she didn't come in first place in her events and that she was competing against older kids.  She felt embarrassed and frustrated.  After a long discussion about expectation vs. reality, she softened and recognized the event as worthwhile and fun.  

I was also incredibly impressed with the team we were swimming against.  They had a lot of teenagers and experienced swimmers on their side.  Those big kids cheered and hollered for our little team made up of 12 and under swimmers with limited swim experience.  It was heartwarming.

Kitty did great for her first time in the pool with other swimmers.  She swam the 25m freestyle and backstroke, and competed in a couple of relays swimming freestyle. We now have recorded times so she can track her improvement. It was fun to watch her compete and to see how much she has improved in just a few short months of being on the team.  I was so proud of her and look forward to many more years of exciting swimming events.

Hooray for Kitty!